


The Catastrophe

by Ninong



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse), Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XIII, Resident Evil - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Platonic Relationships, Survival Horror, Zombies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-19
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2019-09-22 18:05:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17064530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ninong/pseuds/Ninong
Summary: All Lightning wants is one: spending a quality time with her sister, Serah, in the city of Eden. However, when Lightning gets there, a deadly virus has turned the citizen into zombies. Including her sister. And Lightning is forced to 'free' her. Alone, Lightning decides to avenge her sister. When the truth is revealed, will Lightning still be able to continue her mission?Platonic Lightning and Hope/Friendship Lightning and Fang/Romantic Lightning and Cid Raines





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!  
> English is not my first language, so please tell me if there's anything I need to improve. I'd also like to hear what you think about the story.

### CHAPTER 1

Lightning’s body shook greatly. The shock was channeled to her arm and a 9mm pistol she was aiming. The muzzle rocked. Right-left and up-down, sometimes spinning by itself. The whole room was spinning as well. Every color was mixed up like paints in a palette.

"Stay back!" she screamed. Her right index finger was on the trigger. "I…."

The female figure in front of her was approaching slowly. She dragged one foot, her head upward. She held out both hands to Lightning, as if trying to reach. Her open mouth revealed rows of darkened teeth. Groans like an animal in pain replaced the once beautiful voice that Lightning had always remembered. What were crystal blue eyes, full of love and innocence, now were completely white as paper. Blood was seeping out of the figure’s bandaged left arm. If it wasn’t for the apparel—white blouse and a red mini-skirt, Lightning wouldn’t be aware of the gender. And if it wasn’t for the leather bracelet on her right arm, Lightning wouldn’t know who the figure was.

"Lightning, put your gun down!" Snow warned for the umpteenth time. The young man was standing next to Lightning. One arm was outstretched as if to grab her gun.

"You idiot! You want to die?!" Lightning rebuked without turning from the figure in front of her. The distance between them was getting shorter. Lightning’s heart was pounding in her chest, and her stomach churned. Her muscles was screaming for her to run away, rather than having to spew hot lead to the figure. "Serah ... Serah is…."

"Serah’s not a zombie!" Snow yelled. "She's your sister. Why don’t you believe her?"

This was the very reason Lightning hadn’t pulled the trigger yet. The figure, trapped between life and death, who was now approaching and reaching wildly, was her dear sister.

"Serah...." Lightning looked down at the tip of her brown boots. She lowered the gun, weighing between discarding it or holstering it back.

"Serah," said Snow, sounding desperate. "Uh—stop the joke, Serah! It’s not even funny! You ... you're not a zombie. We’re not gonna hurt you, so ... so stop pretending!"

Lightning wanted to punch Snow right on the face. At a critical time like this, he still considered Serah joking? Was he too dense to not see the fact presented this close?

Serah roared, bellowed, growled.

"No one’s gonna die here. Right, Lightning?" Snow asked.

Lightning wouldn’t be able to kill Serah, even if she had become a monster. Serah was a half of her soul. Serah was the very reason she was still alive when life itself hated her. If she had to lose Serah, she’d better die! Life without Serah meant suicide.

Suddenly, a loud thump was heard. Lightning looked up and gasped when she found Serah had sprinted toward her. She looked angry, even angrier than Lightning herself. Her white eyes showed nothing but hunger and will to kill. Instinctively, Lightning aimed her gun to Serah’s head, and pulled the trigger.

The bullet went straight into her forehead, drilled a small but deep hole on it. Blood rushed out of the hole, a sparkling red under a white lamp. In a second, Serah fell to the floor with a loud thud. Blood continued to pour out of the hole on her forehead, flowing to the floor and formed a red halo smelled of rust. Serah’s pink hair dangled into the pool of blood. And she didn’t move anymore.

“SERAH!" Snow rushed and knelt beside the girl’s body, both hands floating over her blood-drenched face. "This can’t be! Serah! Serah!"

Lightning’s hands fell to her sides. Her eyes went wide, exceeding the limit and felt like they wouldn’t return to their original size. Lightning’s grip loosened, and finally her handgun fell heavily on the floor.

"No, Serah!" Snow hugged Serah, and buried his head into the girl's face. The tip of his corn-blond hair was dyed red as it touched Serah’s blood. His enormous body enveloped the girl’s petite one. "Serah...."

"What did I...." Lightning blinked. She looked at her hands. There were streaks of red just like the one on the gun grip. But that wasn’t the point. These hands, hands that had always held Serah’s little hands, always protected her from school bullies, were the same hands that had taken her life. "I…. Serah ...."

"You killed her!"

Snow’s howl jerked Lightning back to the present. She saw Snow cradling her sister. His face was red and tearful.

"You killed Serah, bastard!" Poison was in Snow’s every syllable. "You killed your own sister!"

"No!" Lightning shook her head. "I didn’t—”

"You shot Serah, and now she's dead! You hear me? She’s dead now, bitch!" Snow’s shiny blue eyes were full of spite. Serah’s blood continued to flow into his lap, darkening Snow’s white-tusk coat.

Lightning snatched her gun back from the floor, and hold it up to Snow’s nose. "Stop saying it, bastard!”

"SHOOT ME, BITCH! SHOOT ME!" Snow challenged. "I'd rather die than lose Serah! SHOOT ME!"

And that was what Lightning did.

_Bang!_

"Lightning?! You...." Snow snarled. A hole was engraved on the wall behind him, an inch from his right ear. Black smoke was rising to the humid apartment.

Lightning could feel her own tears flowed endlessly. In one quick motion, she changed her target to her own right temple. Her finger was on the trigger. One false move, and she would die. But death had never felt this calming now that her sister was also beyond the living.

"Oh, so now you want to kill yourself?" Snow’s voice was hatred.

Lightning closed her eyes, unable to look at Snow and his full of accusation eyes.

"As if Serah will forgive you after that! You're a monster! A murderer! You can’t even protect your own sister! "

_NO!_

Driven by fear and anger, Lightning turned around and ran helter-skelter away from Snow. Her feet were sore, but not as sore as her heart. And the tears wouldn’t stop flowing.

Lightning kept running. The world shifted on her either side like a series of film scenes. First was Serah’s apartment, then a dark hallway, the front yard, highways with no sign of life, another highway, and the ruins of the city. There were only cars without drivers, as well as empty buildings that loaded the downtown Eden tonight. Even wild animals were nowhere to be seen. Fire broke out here and there, along with splashes of fresh and dried blood. If things were different, Lightning would run back to Snow and Serah. But, only tears and cold accompanied her tonight.

When exhaustion crept in, she fell to her knees on the wet-cold asphalt. Chill ran up her knees and reached her head. Along with the piercing night air, Lightning hoped, she would freeze to death tonight.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

* * *

 

Lightning recalled how excited she was when she got her annual leave. It wasn't easy to get a leave as a police officer, and she jumped up and down all the way home from work that afternoon. Once she got home, she immediately contacted Serah in Eden City, promising her that she would be there soon to spend sisters' quality time with her. They had been separated for a year since Serah started college in Eden, so it wasn't a surprise that Lightning was too thrilled to see her sister.

Serah was seriously ill when Lightning arrived a week ago. She was being treated by her boyfriend, that idiot Snow. Lightning was angry for Serah giving her no update of her disease—and also about her new boyfriend. The whole holiday plan was ruined.

Lightning brought Serah to the nearest hospital, but the hospital didn't know what diseases Serah suffered. They also claimed, half the city's population also suffered from the same disease. If the disease was unknown, let alone an antidote. Lightning finally decided to take care of Serah in the apartment.

"I'm sorry, Serah. I'm sorry," she whispered, half irritated by the memories. She shivered and rubbed her arms firmly until they felt hot. Apparently, the cold night wasn't enough to kill her, though she wore a sleeveless white jacket and a mini skirt. "Why? Why should this happen? Serah... Sorry. Sorry. Sorry." Her tears kept running down her cheeks. She sat on the cold asphalt with her back on a wrecked bus body—one of the many vehicles that hadn't burnt. Her pink hair dangled like a rag over her face. Loneliness and guilt launched her back into the past.

It was not until three days after her arrival in Eden, strange things happened in the city. People were attacked, killed. They weren't only killed, but eaten. Men ate men, women, and children. The victims, who were supposed to bleed to death, rose from death and sought for other preys. Blood was splattered across the city roads; screams of terror filled the air. The streets were chaotic, all office activities were put on a standstill. Police and soldiers were deployed to the city to resolve the unrest, and it was later known that the victims had been infected by a deadly virus that turned them into zombies.

Since the day of riots, all access in and out of the city was blocked. People holed up in their homes, as well as Lightning. Television channels, radio, and the internet were all disconnected. The magnificent Eden City suddenly transformed into some kinds of an ancient city with no access to the outside world. To make things worse, Serah's disease was getting worse.

Confined in a city full of zombies, running out of food supplies, and witnessing Serah's condition getting even worse finally had taken their toll on Lightning. Everything led to the incident.

"This is ridiculous! Serah ... Serah..." Lightning grabbed the leather bracelet on her right upper arm. She bought the bracelet in Bodhum some years ago using her very first salary. Serah also had the same bracelet. Lightning gave her the same bracelet as a symbol of their eternal bond. It was supposed to be as strong as the leather. But now, even if the bracelet was made of elephant skin or any other skin, nothing could change the fact that Serah was dead. Their supposedly eternal bond was gone. Forever.

She used to wonder what the government had been doing this whole time. The suddenly blocked access in and out of the city, disconnected communication system... It must be one of the government's tricks to maintain their reputation. If news about the outbreak got out, or a tourist returned to his hometown while carrying the virus, the government that called themselves SANCTUM would be finished. Eden city would collapse.

_This is their fault._

SANCTUM. They must have closed their eyes on the undead, and let the whole city be fed to the zombies. Their dirty act had claimed the only, most precious family Lightning had.

_They have to pay for it._

She stood unsteadily. Her right hand held the 9mm pistol tightly.

_I will take away everything precious to them, just like what they did to me._

Lightning wiped her eyes, and stared straight ahead. Dented cars and buses filled the streets. Buildings rose like giants shrouded in darkness behind other structures. However, there was a building glowing in the distance. It stood as high as the sky. The lights on the side of the building were blinking red, green, and yellow. Eden Hall, the headquarter of SANCTUM. Judging from the lights, it seemed normal human beings were still there.

Lightning bit her lip and squeezed the handle of the gun. Whatever happened, she would go to Eden Hall and destroy everything. Whether it would be human or zombies. Lightning would destroy them all and get her revenge done.

A shotgun with a long stock lied beside the body of a policeman. Lightning ran over to the weapon, but then halted when she remembered the city situation. If half of the population had become zombies, so could the policeman be. However, Lightning needed more weapons. A single 9mm pistol wouldn't be able to protect her up to Eden Hall, although so far there had been no sign of enemies.

She picked up a stone from the ruins of a nearby shop. Not too big and heavy. Lightning threw the stone to the dead man's head. If he was a zombie, he would rise up and attack. It was then that Lightning would shoot his forehead. Though she knew that she could shoot him right away, the gunshot sound would just attract more enemies that might be lurking in the shadows.

There wasn't any response from the policeman, indicating he died as an honored human. Quickly, she reached for the stock. But, her motion was stopped when another hand snatched the shotgun faster than her.

"Hey!" Lightning snapped. Her gaze followed the shotgun as it moved from the asphalt into the arms of a boy.

The boy was short and thin. He was so young. No older than thirteen or fourteen. His green eyes glared at Lightning, alert but were also full of fear. The night wind blew his orange-yellow jacket and ribbons attached to the sides of his dark green knee-length shorts. The chestnut brown shotgun, which he tightly hugged, contrasted with the boy's pale skin and silver hair.

"Give me that!" Lightning demanded as she held a hand out.

He shook his head and took a step back.

"Hand it over!" Lightning snarled.

"No! It's mine!"

"You can't use it! A kid like you won't be strong enough. You'll just break your shoulder and arms if you use it," said Lightning, squinting at the boy.

"I don't care!" The boy took a few steps away. His arm slipped little by little from the shotgun weight. He kept retreating until his back was pressed against the body of a windowless yellow taxi.

Lightning took advantage of that situation, and approached him. She was two steps away from him when a gray-skinned man with blood flowing from his neck, bursting out of the taxi window. The man's pale hands grabbed the boy's shoulder; his head was cocked to the kid's neck. His mouth was wide open, ready to bite.

"Look out!" Spontaneously, Lightning aimed her gun and shot the zombie's head. His head was flicked back, and the he collapsed into the car.

She was worried that her shot had attracted other zombies' attention. Fortunately, after a few seconds, there wasn't any mysterious movement from the surroundings, indicating the situation was still secure.

Lightning lowered her gun and went to the mysterious boy who was now crouching shakily. After storing her handgun into a holster on her left leg, Lightning seized the shotgun from the boy's hands.

"It's mine," she declared.

The boy looked up at her. "You ... saved me?"

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "No. Just instinct. "

"I'm Hope." The boy stood up slowly. He was still trembling from the near death experience. "What's your name?"

"Lightning." Lightning's attention was diverted to the shotgun in her hands. The firearm was still beautiful and smooth. It seemed like it had only been used for a few times. She checked the barrel, and found eight shells. She needed at least a whole box of shells.

"Are you a police?"

Lightning stepped back into the policeman corpse. She checked his pockets, and was relieved when she found a box of shells in the dead man's fanny pack. "No," she said simply.

"Where are you going?" asked Hope timidly.

"Eden Hall." Lightning thought to slip the shotgun into the back of her belt. She immediately dismissed the idea. The shotgun weight would only pave her belt, and the weapon could be lost without Lightning's awareness. She decided to carrying it.

"I'm going there, too!" said Hope. Somehow, he sounded a bit happy.

"Then?"

"Um...."

Lightning studied Hope's face. He was still very young, still too fragile to survive in a city full of zombies alone. Fortunately, there weren't any bite wounds on his face and arms, indicating he was still a normal human. Besides, who would let a kid run around by himself like this?

"Are you alone?" she asked out of curiosity.

Hope looked at the toe of his white boots, then nodded. "I was with my mom, but ... mom..."

Even without any continuation, Lightning understood the rest. So, she sauntered across Hope, and simply said, "Go home! Your dad must be waiting for you. "

"My dad is in Eden Hall."

Lightning stopped.        

"I ... I'm going there. If you ... don't mind, can I come with you? I won't be in your way. Promise! Let me go with you!" It was the longest sentence Hope said since he first told her his name. "I mean, we can go there together."

Lightning almost laughed. Did he mean that Lightning had to protect a snot-nosed kid to Eden Hall while she herself was still overwhelmed? The girl shrugged indifferently. "Go away! I don't have time to baby you! "

"But I have to go to Eden Hall!" Hope shrieked from behind. "Mom asked me to go there to see Dad!"

_What a poor kid._ His mom died, and his dad was stuck in Eden Hall. Lightning shook her head. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to pity others. She didn't even have time to pity herself.

Without responding, Lightning went along on her way.


	3. Chapter 3

 

**CHAPTER 3**

Long before Lightning arrived in Eden, she had always thought that the city never slept and was full of sparkling happiness. But now, when she was here in flesh, Lightning knew she had dreamt too much. The city was not that different from an expanded cemetery decorated with buildings and wrecked vehicles here and there. Any trace of previous life had been completely wiped out. Perhaps, if there were still any survivors, they had fled somewhere Lightning had no clue about.

She was staring at a dark grocery store with a glassless front window. Her stomach growled when her eyes were fixed on an ad at the shop's wall. The food on display looked so tempting. Hunger took her whole consciousness, making her a little crazy. _Could there be any leftovers?_ she thought.

She climbed in with shotgun in one hand. The light from the street lamp outside couldn't reach the deepest corners of the store, making Lightning squint her eyes to study the surrounding. Faintly, she could see lined up aluminum shelves with random items scattered on them. The floor and the counter in the right corner were also full of miscellaneous things. She swept a hand on each shelf, hoping one of the random stuff there was food. Too bad, everything was just soap bars, bottled shampoo, and other toiletries. Apparently, after the outbreak, people were more concerned on food than sanitation.

A rustling came behind her. Lightning swiftly aimed her shotgun into the source of the sound—it came from behind a pile of dishwashing sponge wrapped in plastic. Her finger twitched on the trigger, her mind was foggy. If a zombie was to attack her now, Lightning wouldn't hesitate to blow its head.

"Lightning! Don't shoot! It's me!"

Lightning knew the voice, although she had only heard it for a few times. The voice was high, a little broken and hoarse as if the speaker had a polyp the size of a tennis ball in his nose. When the speaker appeared, Lightning frowned.

"You again," she hissed. "Why are you here?"

Hope looked at her timidly. "I..."

"You were lucky, I didn't shoot you," blasted Lightning, lowering her shotgun. "If you startle me again, maybe I'll shoot you for real."

The boy looked down. "Sorry."

Lightning clicked her tongue. That kid might actually was looking for death. How could he trail Lightning up here? She decided to leave Hope, and was about to climb up theglassless front window when she heard Hope again.

"Are you hungry?"

Lightning gave him a 'what did you say?' look.

Hope reached into a blue side pouch on the left side of his belt, and took out two bars of chocolate. The chocolate on the wrapping was sprinkled with peanuts and candies, catching Lightning's attention. Her eyes suddenly widened, her stomach rumbled and she almost drooled.

"For you. This is all I have," said Hope, thrusting the bars to her nose. "It's not much, but at least it'll make you a little full."

"Eat it yourself." Lightning continued her delayed action. She jumped over the window, and landed smoothly on the other side. The image of soft and sweet chocolate danced in her mind. She immediately shook her head to get rid of such imagination. The most important thing now was revenge on SANCTUM, not the boy's snack.

"Wait!" Hope called.

Lightning ignored him. She ran away, and her stomach growled even more.

Hope caught her up. His pace was not fast, but not as slow as Lightning's initially thought. Her head was foggy, mind chaotic. Hunger, fear, anger, revenge. Everything was mixed into a blob of emotion ready to explode at any time.

"Lightning!"

"SHUT UP!" Lightning kept running. Ran, ran, and ran until her legs were numb and her hunger was forgotten.

But, the boy was stubborn. When Lightning winded in a corner, he would follow. When Lightning jumped over bodies on the road, Hope also jumped. Only her shoots weren't copied by the boy, as he didn't have a gun. If Lightning were able to get around and protect herself, Hope wasn't. The boy often stood still with a blank face, and become an easy target. Lightning even had to spare some bullets to save him from incoming attack.

In the end, it all affected Lightning's sanity.

"Why did you follow me?" Lightning turned around, and snapped at the green-eyed boy. Her bubbling emotion nearly ordered her to fire the shotgun to Hope's head.

Hope shrunk. His body shook, hands automatically lifted to his chest in a protective motion. "I didn't follow you! I wanted to go to Eden Hall, too!"

"You slowed me down!" snapped Lightning. Her head was throbbing incoherently. Her chest pain due to heart was beating too fast. "I should have gotten far, but thanks to you, everything is messed up!"

"I didn't—didn't—WHAT'S THAT?!" Hope suddenly howled. His big green eyes widened, focused on something behind Lightning. "WATCH OUT!"

Lightning looked back. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw a man—no! It wasn't a human! No human could jump from the top of a high building and landed smoothly on the roof of a blue car on the road. Even the car's roof was crushed under its weight and emitted a loud crushed noise. The creature was shirtless, wearing only torn black knee-length pants. The middle part of its chest was bulging and pulsing. Its skin was a bluish gray, full of wrinkles. It was tall and muscular—possible three times larger and taller than Lightning. The creature had chin-length blond hair waving in the night breeze. Its white eyes were fixed on Lightning.

"What the hell is that?!" she screamed, and held up her shotgun. "Get back!"

"Lightning!" Hope tugged on her white coat. "We have to run!"

Lightning glanced at the boy. He was right. Lightning put her shotgun aside, and fled in the direction she came before.

The creature roared. Lightning shuddered, and sped up. She had to stay alive if she wanted to carry on her revenge. Dying at the hands of a strange creature wasn't on her plan of revenge.

"AH!"

Hope's screech was like an alarm for Lightning. The girl stopped abruptly, and turned to the boy. Again, Lightning's heart nearly stopped working. A few meters from her current position, Hope was sprawled on the road. The boy crawled backwards step as the monster took step after step toward him. It raised a hand high, then transformed it into a crystallized sword with sparkling blinding branches. And it swung the sword toward Hope.

For a moment, the whole world stopped its track. Lightning gawked. Her eyes and view of Hope were veiled by black spots. When the spots disappeared, Hope suddenly turned into Serah. _Her_ Serah. They were at the same position—at the end of death.

_"Sis!"_

She heard Serah's voice. It was soft but full of fear.

Serah had to be so frightened when she was sick. She had to be calling for Lightning over and over, asking her to come faster, to hold her hands and tell her that everything would be just fine. Serah was just an innocent girl, who suffered, and now was gone.

Serah was Lightning's life.

"SERAH!" Spontaneously, Lightning aimed her shotgun and shot the monster's bladed hand. The shell exploded and scattered. Its radius reached the monster's face and right shoulder. Green blood burst into the air. The monster roared in pain and staggered back.

Hope crawled backward, then stood up and ran toward Lightning.

"You okay?" asked Lightning, pumping the shotgun for the next shot. She could see the glint of fear in Hope's green eyes.

"Y-yes." Hope nodded.

The monster managed to get his balance back. Its wrinkled face and white eyes were directed at Lightning.

"The hell is that thing?" Lightning fixed the front sight of the shotgun fixed to monster's head.

"Don't know," Hope replied as he slid behind Lightning.

Whatever the monster was, Lightning wouldn't let it end their lives here. If she was dead, her and Serah's revenge would never be realized.

_Serah, help me._


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

 

The shotgun recoiled as Lightning pulled the trigger repeatedly. Pain quickly crawled around her arms, shoulders, and head. Her ears were close to losing their function due to the loud shotgun collision. It was almost as loud as a thundering sky. Lightning wouldn't care how her shoulders and ears would be after all this was over. All she cared about was survival and revenge.

In the end, a soft click replaced the exploding shotgun.

"Lightning! You did it!" exclaimed Hope.

Lightning was aghast. She lowered the shotgun that let out gray smoke from the muzzle, and released a breath she had been holding. Seven empty shells were scattered around her. Lightning stared at the body of the collapsed monster whose body was almost destroyed into pulp. Green blood was spilled on the asphalt like paint.

"Yeah," she whispered. "I did it."

_Revenge mission number one is done._

Suddenly, the monster rose from the ground. In an instant, it stood straight as if nothing had hit it.

Lightning bit her lips. She had forgotten to take into account the distance between herself and the monster before shooting. Shotgun wasn't a good weapon for ranged combat. The exploded shells would scatter, and the total damage would then be divided evenly into the scattering radius. The earlier shot definitely didn't cause maximum damage on the monster.

"Lightning! It's alive again!" Hope told her in a hoarse voice.

"Thanks for the info, Einstein!" said Lightning as she hastily reloaded her shotgun. If she was too slow, she and Hope would be done for. Her focus returned to the monster as it let out an angry roar. When she looked up, the monster had suddenly darted toward her as fast as lightning. Its bladed hand was stretched forward. Lightning aimed her shotgun, and was about to pull the trigger when two other gunshots were heard afar.

Green blood spurted from the monster's temple. It collapsed to the left, and stopped moving. Smoke was winding from the side of its head, then merged with the air.

"It's dead?" whispered Hope.

"I guess," said Lightning. "Stay here. I'll check on it. "

She approached the body slowly, worried that it would get back up and attack. Her shotgun was cocked, ready to spew shell whenever Lightning pulled the trigger. When she got to the wrinkle-faced monster, she checked it out.

Two holes on the right side of its head singed its blonde hair. The holes were smooth and deep. Lightning frowned. A gun could be the cause, but there wasn't anybody around except her and Hope, and their position wouldn't make them possible to shoot the monster's right temple. There could be someone armed with a rifle who shot the monster.

"Hey, you're still alive?" A woman's voice sounded from her left.

Out of instinct, Lightning immediately aimed her shotgun to the sound source.

"Well, is this how you thank your hero?" It was a young woman commenting sarcastically to her. She was walking out of the darkness, holding a silver automatic rifle in both hands. Lightning knew how heavy a rifle was, but in the young woman's hand, the rifle seemed to weight nothing.

"Who are you?" Lightning's grip didn't loosen one bit.

The rifle lady grinned broadly, revealing rows of sparkling white teeth. She had dull green eyes that seemed to underestimate anyone in the vicinity. A mole lay under her right eye. Her black hair was down, its wild ends were dyed red. She was wearing a blue silk dress with a shawl hung on her left shoulder. The skirt was ankle-length with a cut on the left side, revealing a smooth left thigh. Under the dress, she wore a black sport bra and brown low-heeled boots. She put the rifle on her shoulder, and laughed.

"Huh. Freak," snorted Lightning. She decided to check on Hope who was still on his position as Lightning commanded earlier. The boy wasn't injured, but he looked like he was still in a great shock.

"Well, sorry!" said the rifle lady.

Lightning glanced at her.

"Ah, so, the name's Fang," said the tanned woman with ease. "I saw you about to die at the monster's hands, so I shot it. Bam! Bam! And the monster was dead."

"Oh." That was Lightning's reply. She wasn't too fond of Fang's speech.

"Um, thanks, Fang," said Hope.

Fang's eyes were locked on Hope. "Oh, you're so cute, kid. It's been long enough since I last saw a kid. What's your name?"

"Oh? I'm Hope."

Lightning interrupted, "Okay, Fang. Could you explain why you helped us?"

Lightning knew, she shouldn't ask that kind of question to someone who had saved her life. But, in the current situation, being suspicious and watchful was the key to survival.

"Straight to the point, huh? I like that." Fang scratched her head with one hand. Her other hand was still holding the rifle steady on her shoulder. "Alrighty. I was assigned by Raines to gather survivors to the police station. So, that's why I helped you. "

"Who is Raines?"

"My partner," said Fang. "Handsome. He's mine, I warn you."

Lightning rolled her eyes.

Fang turned, and strolled, ignoring the dead monster on the road. "Alright! This way, lady and gentleman!"

"Lightning, we'll follow her?" asked Hope, touching Lightning's fingers timidly.

"Hey!" Fang shouted as she whirled back toward them. "You wanna come or not? There are foods, a resting place, and the handsome Raines in the station! Or maybe you prefer to stay in this zombified road and die?"

That Fang woman really had a sharp tongue! Lightning murmured an agreement. If it wasn't for an empty stomach, fatigue, and a nearly dislocated shoulder thanks to the shootings earlier, she would have refused. She needed full power to carry on her revenge.

***

Fang led them to a white patrol car with an EPD sticker on the fender. The car was still good and functioning properly. The engine roared smoothly, and was barely audible despite the city's almost empty state. She was focused on the road, taking crevices between totaled vehicles. She was smart enough, Lightning must admit.

During the journey to the police station, no one made a sound. Lightning sat on back with Hope, watching Fang's every movement and the street as they went. She needed to make sure that Fang wasn't a looter who intended to rob them. Indeed, neither Lightning nor Hope had any valuable things with them. However, bad guys always had a knack to seize anything. Her instinct as a police always warned her about this.

Eden Police Department came into view. The building was dark, except for the neon-lit terrace. Fang went out of the car to open a gate down the side of the building. After the gate was open, she ran back to the car and drove down the dim basement. A large parking area greeted them. Only a few cars were lined up there. Fang parked the patrol car, and went out.

"Here we are! We are safe here," she said while pressing a large button next to the gate. The heavy iron gate was closed automatically.

Lightning and Hope looked at each other for a moment, then decided it wouldn't hurt to leave the car.

With Fang's lead, they went into the office building through the back door. The first thing they saw was a long corridor smelled of urine with minimal lighting. Lightning pinched her nose. If this was indeed a police station, the employees sure are a bunch of slackers. She tried to ignore it until they came to a hall with tables arranged in a circle in the middle. It was warm and the lights along the hall were almost blinding.

"Welcome to the EPD! Eden City and SANCTUM's pride," Fang exclaimed while strolling toward the tables and spreading her arms.

"Where are the other survivors?" quipped Hope.

Fang leaned to a table. "Couldn't find any. It's just you two, me, and Cid here."

"Cid?" Hope tilted his head.

"Raines. You people aren't allowed to call him Cid. Only I am allowed," said Fang, grabbing a white phone on the desk. She put the phone to her ear, then hit number one. Still with the phone on the ear, she added, "It's his first name, and should only be used by a close friend—me."

"Oh." Hope slid behind Lightning. Lightning could almost feel the boy's fear of Fang's possessiveness.

"So," Lightning said after a long pause, "is Raines a police?"

"No—hey, Cid!" Fang shouted excitedly into the phone. "I found two survivors! They are still human! You won't believe this! Yeah, yeah, just get here right now. They've been waiting for you."

Lightning folded her arms when Fang hung up. That woman must have fallen head over heels for Raines, but she still was a suspicious weirdo.

It took some time until Cid Raines arrived. He was a man in his middle twenties, wearing a SANCTUM officer uniform covered with a white robe. He was tall and lean built. His gray eyes shone with wisdom and high intelligence.

"I'm Cid Raines," he said, extending a hand to Lightning. "I'm so glad some people are still alive."

Besides the fact that Raines was handsome, his voice was no less gorgeous. If Lightning could hear that voice all day….

"And you are?" Raines' question returned the pink haired girl back to reality.

She shook his hand firmly. "Lightning."

Raines switched to Hope who hid behind Lightning. "You?"

"Hope. I'm Hope. "

Raines smiled pleasantly. "You're a very lucky boy. To be the younger brother of a great woman." His eyes were focused on Lightning and her shotgun when he said 'great'.

"He's not my brother," said Lightning. "We're partners."

"Yeah, partners." Hope nodded in agreement.

"Okay, save the explanations and pleasantries—my head hurts thanks to your nonsense." Fang placed herself between Lightning and Raines. Her face was stern, and she looked greatly annoyed. "Cid, these two need some rest."

"Oh, my apologize." Raines cleared his throat, and then looked at Lightning again. "Follow me, please. I'll walk you to the break room. I assure you that everything is safe."

"Um, can we trust him?" Hope asked Lightning softly once Raines was a few meters away from them.

"If he's lying, I'll shoot his head with this shotgun," said Lightning as she tapped her shotgun lightly. After glancing at Fang for the last time, she and Hope ran to catch Raines up. The man seemed to be on their side—and he was handsome! If he was only pretending and planned to attack at a later date, then Lightning would exactly do as her words just now.


End file.
